Ever since I was a little boy, I've had an absolute favorite car. Great lines, good performance, and despite a fractional price-tag, used to run with the Big Boys.
I'm talking about none other than the 1986-1988 Lotus Esprit Turbos.
It's always been my dream to find me a bagged out one, strip it to peices and lovingly restore it.
Fieros are great. Laugh all you want, but they are a close second for my favorite cars. But the sad fact is that they have no intrinsic value other than a fun weekender to beat like a rented mule.
I think I'll always want to own at least one Fiero...
But as me and the woman are looking for a place (with a REAL garage), and we're aligning our hopes and dreams, I find myself thumbing through my old car&driver mags and getting a semi staring at that amazing car.
Long and short of it; I don't have the slightest clue where to start looking for an 80s Lotus Esprit Turbo in need of serious TLC.
I'm not a great body-man, so I don't want to rescue a roll-over. I'd rather find one that's been flogged mercilessly, with a bum drivetrain. As long as it's rebuildable, I'm SO game.
It'd be nice to sink $20k into a car and actually have something that's worth the money put into it.
Where do I start? I'm not ready to buy yet, but I want to start feelin' the markets... :scratch:
How do I go about this?
Moderator: crzyone
How do I go about this?
"Oh, this is too good. She thinks you're a servant... Cause you're black! This is greatest moment in my miserable life... Sooo-ey! I LOVE RACISM!"
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Chris-Nelson
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Top Line Group Automotive AccessoriesI don't think I've ever seen any project Lotus' (Lotii?) on ebay. Completed projects, yes...
I dunno... It'll have to be a US car, that's for sure. :scratch:
I dunno... It'll have to be a US car, that's for sure. :scratch:
"Oh, this is too good. She thinks you're a servant... Cause you're black! This is greatest moment in my miserable life... Sooo-ey! I LOVE RACISM!"
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Series8217
- 1988 Fiero Track Car
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Damn, that might even be able to take a Fiero in the twisties. Not Calikid's though.
That is an amazing suspension for stock. They look pretty cool I'll agree, though I bet they are a tad expensive, and REALLY expensive to restore.
The older ones only had a turbo 4, that'd need to be fixed. Also it needs dual exhaust. But the newer ones had a 3.5l twin turbo DOHC V8. OMFG :love10:
That is an amazing suspension for stock. They look pretty cool I'll agree, though I bet they are a tad expensive, and REALLY expensive to restore.
The older ones only had a turbo 4, that'd need to be fixed. Also it needs dual exhaust. But the newer ones had a 3.5l twin turbo DOHC V8. OMFG :love10:
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The Dark Side of Will
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That actually looks like C3/C4 Corvette rear suspension.Aaron wrote:That is an amazing suspension for stock. They look pretty cool I'll agree, though I bet they are a tad expensive, and REALLY expensive to restore.
The older ones only had a turbo 4, that'd need to be fixed. Also it needs dual exhaust. But the newer ones had a 3.5l twin turbo DOHC V8. OMFG :love10:
What's wrong with turbo 4?
Colin Chapman never understood why a car would have to last longer than the duration of a Grand Prix race.
The Twin Turbo Lotus 8s are brutally expensive, the car and the motor, and the parts.
Besides which, I think I can live with ONLY 285hp pushing a car that can run with the Countache's and Testarossa's of the time.
I would like a numbers matching restore job, and because I'm an idiot, probably a couple of bolt-on light mods (not that I think I'll be able to do much better than 285).
In any case, I just bought the Factory Service Manual for 91-93s. Purely as a reference, of course... But I'd like to know what I'm looking at.
Donk: I'm serious about it. I'm buying a house first, in the Spring, and I'll need time to settle in. But I would like to know what I'm looking at in terms of pricing for a rough-shape Lotus that's worthy of a restore.
I don't really want a rollover, since I don't want to be cutting large parts of the frame up... Ideally I'll find one with a bagged motor that some drunk idiot drove into the ditch, whanging up the lower body-panels, busting up the bumper, and tearing some shit apart on the underbody.
You know, lots of little things, but nothing structural. I'd like an intact and straight frame, even if the motor is knocking like Animal Control and the Morality Police at Aaron's college hazing.
Besides which, I think I can live with ONLY 285hp pushing a car that can run with the Countache's and Testarossa's of the time.
I would like a numbers matching restore job, and because I'm an idiot, probably a couple of bolt-on light mods (not that I think I'll be able to do much better than 285).
In any case, I just bought the Factory Service Manual for 91-93s. Purely as a reference, of course... But I'd like to know what I'm looking at.
Donk: I'm serious about it. I'm buying a house first, in the Spring, and I'll need time to settle in. But I would like to know what I'm looking at in terms of pricing for a rough-shape Lotus that's worthy of a restore.
I don't really want a rollover, since I don't want to be cutting large parts of the frame up... Ideally I'll find one with a bagged motor that some drunk idiot drove into the ditch, whanging up the lower body-panels, busting up the bumper, and tearing some shit apart on the underbody.
You know, lots of little things, but nothing structural. I'd like an intact and straight frame, even if the motor is knocking like Animal Control and the Morality Police at Aaron's college hazing.
"Oh, this is too good. She thinks you're a servant... Cause you're black! This is greatest moment in my miserable life... Sooo-ey! I LOVE RACISM!"
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The Dark Side of Will
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WWD?
:scratch:
I kinda want this car to appreciate it for what it is. About the only japanese car that I truly like, inside, out, mechanically, stylistically, functionally....
I think 285hp plus whatever I can eake out of it during the rebuild will be plenty for me. Unless you wanna come by and help me out! :salute:
*drool*
:scratch:
I kinda want this car to appreciate it for what it is. About the only japanese car that I truly like, inside, out, mechanically, stylistically, functionally....
I think 285hp plus whatever I can eake out of it during the rebuild will be plenty for me. Unless you wanna come by and help me out! :salute:
*drool*
"Oh, this is too good. She thinks you're a servant... Cause you're black! This is greatest moment in my miserable life... Sooo-ey! I LOVE RACISM!"
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The Dark Side of Will
- Peer Mediator
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- Joined: Wed Nov 24, 2004 11:13 pm
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